Len Brumby was reported to have but few words to say to Claire as he gave "Benji" ( Margaret Magnificent's call name ) the look over. He liked the dog a great deal and agreed to be his handler for the show career and handle his outside breeding commissions. Together they had quite a run! Claire's daughter Margaret has very fond memories of Leonard:

"Len Brumby handled most of Mum's Sealyhams for her. I had the highest esteem for all the handlers of that era, because they were not only teachers of the knowledge they had, but they would bend over backwards to help anybody. I learned a lot of things from Mr. Brumby, because he was very generous with his time."

Margaret who was around ten years old when Benji first arrived also has fond memories of him " Like all Sealy's , Benji was a clown and Mum was smitten with Sealy's"

And although Claire's own words about Benji are on the Clairedale Site Map page I think they bear repeating here especially when there are so few direct words from her anywhere in print.

" HE HAS A SENSE OF HUMOUR THAT IS RARE AND WILL BRING DOWN THE HOUSE EVEN IF YOU HAVE A BAD CASE OF THE BLUES "

I have a fond appreciation for women who understand rare humour...... and would of liked to have met Claire (she was still very close by to my house in the 1950's) if only to tell her what a bad case of the blues I had , because her beautiful home burned down.

Claire, Brumby and Benji set to work in the fall of 1935 and in no time at all the results were in:

He wasn't here a month when he started making his presence known . This show on September 28, 1935 may of been Benji's first one in America and after winning his breed that day, he was giving a run to two of the strongest dogs on the show circuit that year. Champion Edelweis du Labory of Samagundi (Did Groucho come up with that name?) And a real crowd favorite that he would go head to head with many times in the months to come. Milson O'Boy a remarkable Irish Setter. (aren't all Irish Setters remarkable! ...sorry I have a soft spot for them)

Benji who won his breed that day and as one of the three finalists for best in show was reported by Henry Isley that any one of them, the Setter, the Sealy or the Poodle would of been a suitable choice for BIS.

And the rest of 1935 would go very well for Clairedale. I would imagine it was quite a Merry Christmas at Red Cedar Point for the Penney Family and all who worked for them. Those in the dog world especially other Sealyham breeders were already speaking and writing (somewhat sarcasticly?) about Claires changes at her kennel. Mrs. R. Holmes in Popular Dogs wrote " Congratulations to Mrs. Penney and to Miss Charters on St. Margaret Magnificent's marvelous career since his arrival here. How very satisfactory for Mrs. Penney to be starting from the place that it has taken some of us several years to reach". My question to Mrs. Holmes would be "What about all of Claire's work for the last twenty some years?